Main menu

18 October – 5 November 2005: Cate Maddy

Gallery 1

Cate Maddy’s work is an investigation into the idea of domination and submission in relation to gender issues, referencing fairy-tale like imagery as a metaphor for the human struggle to find harmony within relationships, and the environment.

In fairy-tales the roles of good and evil, male and female, are clearly defined. Often animals are seen as equal to men, sometimes taking on human characteristics and emotions.

The narratives which emerge from the paintings are ambiguous with a menacing undercurrent, initially disguised by the naive painterly figuration and the heightened use of colour. Mixed media and stitching further emphasize gender stereotypes, and the gestural marks and flaws speak of emotion and what it is to be human.

Cate Maddy is a recent graduate from RMIT, and winner of the 2004 Siemens RMIT Fine Art Travel Scholarship.